Teen Musician Armaan Mishra’s Mission: Harnessing Music for the Good of the Community

Congratulations to Armaan Mishra, who has received the Maude’s Ventures 2025 Young Founders Program Award. In collaboration with Dr. Julene Johnson of the UCSF Institute for Health & Aging, Armaan is developing a framework and practical tools (guidelines, templates, videos, curriculum) to improve musical interactions between student musicians and residents with dementia. We recently discussed his experience playing for nursing home residents and his plans for helping other teen musicians do the same.… Read more

Bring Music Back into Care: What This New Report Means for You

Over the years that I advocated for nursing homes to help residents reconnect to their favorite music, I often hit a wall of resistance. Any new initiative, even a low cost one like personalized music, was a hard sell if it didn’t produce revenue. Although I was fortunate to have met with passionate, “walk-the-walk” kinds of leaders when it came to improving quality of life with music, too many leaders in nursing homes, assisted living communities, hospitals, and home health care organizations said they didn’t feel they could even ask for or consider a program like this unless it contributed to the bottom line.… Read more

Integrating Music into Dementia Care Community-wide

As word continues to spread about music’s unique benefits for persons living with dementia, how do we reach everyone who might benefit?  The Engaged Brains Project is a community-wide, person-centered initiative, transforming dementia care in Moore County, N.C.

Led by Neuropsychologist Karen D. Sullivan, PhD, ABPP, and 60 community leaders (certified in Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care), the project focuses on a year-long public training program grounded in “radical engagement” to enhance dementia knowledge, care skills, and support, to drive meaningful culture change.… Read more

For a Loved One with Cognitive Decline, a Smart Speaker Is a Gift that Keeps on Giving

Few gifts are as meaningful and loving as the gift of music.

For a person living with dementia, a voice-activated smart speaker can be a wonderful holiday gift that offers joy, connection, and comfort. That’s because music uplifts the spirit, reduces anxiety, and promotes relaxation—not just for your loved one, but also for you and other care partners.

These compact devices deliver impressive sound quality and are easy to set up.… Read more

People with Dementia Deserve Access to Beneficial Music

Here’s the good news: More and more families and caregivers are discovering the many benefits of enabling their loved ones to enjoy their favorite music as they age—especially if their elders experience cognitive decline.

We’re all drawn to music and spend our lives steeped in our favorites. In fact, on average, people listen to 2.6 hours of music a day and 1.3 million songs during their lifetime!… Read more

How Music Heals

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Michael C. Patterson on his MINDRAMP podcast about how listening to musical favorites can have a life-transforming effect on people with dementia. Here are links to the two short podcasts we did together:

A Music Treatment for Dementia, July 16, 2023

We discuss how I got on my mission to promote the benefits of music, some thoughts on current music usage in care, and my goals for expanding adoption of beneficial music as an effective quality-of-life approach for persons with dementia.… Read more

AI Can Unlock Doors for People with Dementia

Laurie Waters, who lives with dementia, had lost the ability to write easily. She could not even compose short text messages—until a friend installed an AI program on her laptop.

“It has changed my life,” she reports. Now she can write thoughts as they occur and run them through the chatbot, which organizes her ideas into coherent sentences and paragraphs. “It’s made me feel somewhat whole again,” she continues.… Read more

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late to Make That Playlist

Recently some friends from out-of-town were visiting, and our conversation turned to loved ones coping with dementia. Everyone understood how listening to personal music can improve quality of life. So, I asked whether it had been helpful.

“Yes,” said Joanne, whose Mom passed away this past year from Alzheimer’s. Joanne was so pleased that playing her mother’s favorite music helped to keep them close.… Read more

What to Ask about Music Access When Selecting a Care Home for Your Loved One

Research confirms that people living in care settings are more likely to thrive when they regularly listen to and engage with their favorite music. The music we love can shift our moods, make us happier, even prompt us to sing or dance. So, when your loved one needs to transition to assisted living or a nursing home, access to beloved music will be key to their quality of life throughout the days, months, or years in their new home.

… Read more